The Bearcats are battle-tested with a 6-6 record against BPI top 50 teams and a defense that routinely held opponents under 60 points. … Harvard is just 2-2 against BPI top 100 teams and played in one of the nation’s weakest conferences. … Kilpatrick is the most explosive player on either side and an NBA draft prospect, while Jackson is a defensive ace who could cause matchup problems for the Crimson. … Harvard plays a similar tempo to the Bearcats, who look to slow the game down and keep it in the 50s.

Despite the upset potential, the favored Bearcats should emerge from this second-round clash. Led by senior guard Sean Kilpatrick, Mick Cronin's physical squad should limit Harvard on offense and make enough plays to pull away late.

In one of the toughest No. 7 vs. No. 10 matchups to predict this spring, Texas will take on Arizona State in Milwaukee.

While the Longhorns struggled down the stretch after knocking off Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor and Kansas in consecutive games midway through the year, they aren't fading nearly as much as the Sun Devils, who concluded the regular season on a three-game losing skid and lost five of their last seven games.

Following a shocking 17-point loss to Baylor in the Big 12 tournament semifinals, Texas coach Rick Barnes stressed the importance of everyone playing their role come tournament time, per The Dallas Morning News' Chuck Carlton.

"We just need everybody doing what they do well," he said. "And if we do that, I'm telling you, we can beat anybody we play. But if we don't, it can be like that."

Texas' lack of tournament success in recent years is cause for concern, but the Longhorns' rebounding prowess will be the decider. Texas ranks fourth in the nation in rebounding and averages 6.2 more per game than Arizona State.

Therefore, watch for the Longhorns to beat the Sun Devils up on the glass en route to victory.

No. 9 Oklahoma State (-2) Over No. 8 Gonzaga, West Region

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It's no secret that the No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchups can be tricky to predict. In 2014, there are several hard-to-pick showdowns, especially in the West Region, where No. 8 Gonzaga will face off against No. 9 Oklahoma State, per KING TV sports reporter Chris Egan:

Wow, tough match-up early for #Gonzaga
The #Zags get No. 8 seed vs. NO. 9 Oklahoma State in West region in San Diego.

Vegas has the Cowboys as two-point favorites, but there's no doubt that the Bulldogs have been the more consistent team, even if they're less talented overall.

Which team will advance to Round 3?

No. 8 GonzagaNo. 9 Oklahoma StateSubmit Votevote to see results

Which team will advance to Round 3?

No. 8 Gonzaga

30.0%

No. 9 Oklahoma State

70.0%

Total votes: 10

The hot-shooting West Coast Conference champions have won five straight coming in and rank fifth in the nation in team field-goal percentage, hitting shots at a clip of roughly 50 percent.

Still, it's almost impossible to pick against NBA-ready talent Marcus Smart and the Pokes, who can beat anyone in the country in a shootout when they bring their A-game. It'll all come down to which Oklahoma State team shows up Friday, but there's a good chance it'll be the team that closed the regular season winning five of seven games.